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Terror has political Goals: Religion should be for Humanism
Ram Puniyani After being attacked by the bombs of the terrorists (13/7, 2011), we are facing the barrage from the ideologues of Hate and divisiveness. Many a ideologues of religious nationalism have come out with outpourings associating religion, Islam and so Muslims with terrorism and the need to confront this attack of terror by uniting…
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Science Communication & Science Popularisation
XXXV INDIAN SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS Wardha-2011 Prof. S.P. Verma, Chairman , Panel on Science communication( Indian Social Science Congress -Wardha-2011) has sent the following mails to us. Those who are interested in contributing to the topic mentioned in Prof Verma’s mail may contact him for further details. Prof SP Verma’s email ID is verma1946@gmail.com I…
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United Colors of Fundamentalisms
Terror Attack Hits Norway Ram Puniyani India hardly recovered from the ghastly terror attack of 13th July, 2011 Mumbai that terrorism struck in Norway. In Norway on 22nd July, Friday, around 3.20 PM in the afternoon the high-rise, where Prime Minister’s office is located in central Oslo, was targeted resulting in blowing out windows and facades of…
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Why I Am A Rationalist
The Rational Habit Of Mind Is A Rare One Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) I am, in this age when there are a great many appeals to unreason, an unrepentant Rationalist. I have been a Rationalist ever since I can remember, and I do not propose to cease to be so whatever appeals to unreason…
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Terror visits Mumbai yet Again
Ram Puniyani The three blasts in Mumbai on 13th July 2011 not only killed nearly 20 innocent people but shook the city yet again. The previous attack on Mumbai 26/11 2008 was horrific enough to have killed over 200 people. The tragedy was followed by the great resilience of Mumbai citizens to rehabilitate the victims…
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Treasure of Faith
Hoards of Wealth in Padmnabh Temple Ram Puniyani It seems that in this profane world, the ‘Holy’ seem to be most monetarily wealthy. Recently the material goods of the men of God have come to be known more openly than before. Bhagwan Satya Sai of Putthaparthy, not only had over 40000+ crores of wealth; some…
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Islam is a Religion of Peace?
Listen to Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Douglas Murray debatIng Zeba Khan and Maajid Nawaz on the subject – “Islam is a religion of peace”. The debate was held on October 6, 2010. Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of the memoir Infidel, is an atheist and secular humanist. She rebelled against the oppressive laws…
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Attack on Kalanathan : Statements of solidarity
U. Kalanathan, Patron of FIRA and State Secretary of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham Statements of solidarity received following the attack on U. Kalanathan: This is terrible, and I condemn the rowdies, whoever was involved in such a horrible action. I am asking all humanists and rationalists in Europe and the USA to express solidarity with Mr.…
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11 July: International Day Against Stoning
Prof Innaiah Narisetti has forwarded the following mail to us: Dear friends 11 July, the International Day against Stoning, will soon be here. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani As you know Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is still languishing in prison. The authorities recently mentioned her case saying that no final decision had yet been reached on her stoning…
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Kalanathan Attacked
U. Kalanathan, Patron of FIRA and State Secretary of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham The house of U. Kalanathan, patron of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, was attacked by miscreants yesterday (July 3, 2011). It is reported that the miscreants were angered by Kalanathan’s suggestion during a television debate that the treasure (estimated to be worth…
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Sleeping with the Enemy – Ramdas Athawalay allies with Shiv Sena
Ram Puniyani Electoral politics has its own strange logic. While Gopinath Munde, the leader of BJP was hobnobbing with Congress (June 2011), in recent times the leaders from Shiv Sena, Narayan Rane and Sanjay Nirupam have joined Congress in recent years, Ramdas Athawalay, of Republican Party of India, a party claiming to be the party…
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Why I am an Atheist
Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh (1907-1931) [Bhagat Singh wrote Why I am an Atheist while he was spending days in a condemned cell in 1931. In this pamphlet he discusses and advocates the philosophy of atheism. This pamphlet was a result of some criticism by fellow revolutionaries on his failure to acknowledge religion and God while…
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Prabhat Patnaik on Ramdev Phenomenon
Prabhat Patnaik is a well known economist and a political commentator. In an incisive article written in the latest issue of Frontline (June 19 – July 1, 2011) Professor Patnaik says: Prabhat Patnaik Ramdev project is fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-secular and a disturbing throwback to our pre-modernity. This is because while everybody in a democracy has…
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M.F. Husain: Victim of Intolerance
Ram Puniyani On 9th June 2011, M.F. Husain breathed his last in a London Hospital, and was later buried in the cemetery in London as per his wish that he should be buried at a place of his death. The most celebrated painter of India, a thorough Indian and understanding Hindu culture much more than…
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Atheist Centre Celebrates Saraswathi Gora Birth Centenary, Sept.28-29, Vijayawada
We have received the following mail from Vikas Gora of Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, which is celebrating the Birth Centenary of Ms Saraswathi Gora: Greetings from Atheist Centre, Vijayawada. We cordially invite you to the Birth Centenary of Saraswathi Gora National Conference at Atheist Centre, Vijayawada on September 28-29 this year. It will be held at…
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Baba Ramdev’s anti Corruption Fast: New Face of Communal Politics
Ram Puniyani The police crackdown on people assembled to participate on the anti corruption fast by Baba Ramdev on the Sunday night, 5th June 2011, needs to be condemned to no end. As the police methods are, brutal by there nature, in their effort to evacuate the Ramlila ground, they did resort to the firing of…
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Baba Ramdev: Yogi or Commissar?
Ram Puniyani Ramdev has been probably the most successful of God men of recent times. He claims to have a following of over a billion people. There are an infinite number of people claiming that his yoga therapy and medicines work wonders for their health. Baba in a short span of time has built…
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Ramdev – The Nuttiest Guru!
Ramdev is the nuttiest of yoga gurus we have seen in recent years. Here is a sample of his wisdom retrieved from a recent interview he gave to Tehelka: On Cleansing Corruption If the black money from abroad comes back into the same corrupt system, how will it reach the people? That’s why the…